The 2015 Ford Mustang GT is the most agressive-looking Mustang in the marque's 50 year history, but there are even more go-fast improvements under its imposing exterior

Few nameplates have the distinction of being around for fifty consecutive years. The Mustang is amongst that elite company, and Ford made sure to celebrate this milestone by producing what is intended to be the company’s best pony car to date. Nothing was off the table when it came time for this complete redesign, and this comes across the second you strap in and fire it up.

Forget everything you knew about Mustang: this is a completely new breed!

The previous generation was an undeniably successful revitalization for the Mustang line. Debuting in 2005, it kicked off ten years of American muscle that hit car culture so hard, it actually brought competitors like Camaro and Challenger back from the dead. That version was a tribute to everything we loved about Mustangs of the past, from its “retro-futurism”styling to its drag-strip-friendly solid rear axle. As well received as these things were, it anchored the nameplate to the past and it was time for Ford to look forward, particularly because sales of the prancing pony were set to officially go global.

This forward thinking is immediately evident when you see the sleek and slippery exterior design: no corny retro throwbacks here, thank you very much. This look is completely contemporary while still retaining the hallmarks that are distinctly Mustang. Wider, lower, and with a longer muscular hood, they’ve managed to make the Mustang even more aggressive looking.

With hood vents, a front splitter, and the "shark bite" grille of previous GTs, it's easy to tell the 2015 Mustang GT apart from its less powerful brethren

(Alex Kalogiannis)

The 2015 Mustang is longer, lower, and wider than the previous generation, and all of this enlargement makes for a much more imposing presence on the road

(Alex Kalogiannis)

Ford has kept the iconic three-bar taillights for this generation of Mustang, but they've ditched the trunk-mounted fake fuel cap in favor of a sleeker "GT" badge

(Alex Kalogiannis)

The mainstay “shark-bite”fascia carries over with a more modern interpretation, along with the trapezoidal grille which houses one of the world’s most recognizable badges. The HID headlamps are finely designed, to the point where the Mustang looks like it’s staring down prey. Sloping more steeply forward are the lines of the fastback rear, which nudge out the tri-bar tail lamps for a more fluid look.

While the radical exterior design may be divisive amongst the more tradition-oriented enthusiasts, the interior is undoubtedly one of the best seen in a Mustang to date. Everything in this aircraft-inspired design is a true improvement and not an update for the sake of updating. The lines look chunky and feel solid, and the genuine aluminum accents give the cabin a quality feel.

The interior of the 2015 Mustang is much improved over the previous generation, and does away with all of the ergonomic issues that plagued Mustangs past

(Alex Kalogiannis)

If you ask us, the interior of the 2015 Mustang GT looks best when fitted with the six-speed manual transmission

(Alex Kalogiannis)

The interior of the 2015 Mustang is "aviation-inspired," and this is clear in the generous use of toggle switches and gauges in the cabin

(Alex Kalogiannis)

Leather seats are available on the top-of-the-line Mustang GT Premium, and do an excellent job of holding you in place when things get twisty out on the road

(Alex Kalogiannis)

The interior ergonomics have been greatly improved, allowing for everything from more knee room to easier handling of the shifter. Anyone who’s spent time in the previous Mustang knows that if there’s anything taller than a phone sitting in the cup-holders, driving the stick-shift ‘Stang became near impossible. Ford has moved them back, so that they no longer impede your gear selection.

The previous 2011 refresh also brought a questionable redesign of the center console storage compartment where the push-button latch was right at elbow length, causing the lid to pop open when just resting your arm. This is mercifully gone, thanks to a solid armrest with an off-center latch. Other interior improvements Mustang owners will recognize and appreciate are a dedicated sunglass holder, a slew of charging ports, and a lockable glove-box with a separate compartment for the owner’s manual – this usually dominates the bulk of available storage space.

The three-bar LED running lights on the 2015 Mustang are a nod to the metal "gills" to the left and right of the grille on the 1965 original

(Alex Kalogiannis)

The Mustang may have taken many shapes and sizes over its 50-year history, but it's impossible to mistake it for anything else on the road when that famous badge is on the grille

(Alex Kalogiannis)

If you look closely, you'll spot the vent effect between each bar on the 2015 Mustang's taillights. This is a nod to Mustangs of yore that featured vented spaces between each light.

(Alex Kalogiannis)

The 2015 Mustang features a body-color rear splitter that runs beneath the rear plastic trip and adds continuity to the overall design

(Alex Kalogiannis)

At the heart of the Mustang GT is a 5.0-liter V-8 engine that puts out 435-horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque to the rear wheels. This is a 15-hp and 10 lb.-ft. increase over the previous gen’s 5.0-liter engine. The performance gains are accomplished by a wide range of improvements, like straighter intake ports in the cylinder head, and a new intake manifold for a better air-fuel mixture. The result is not only an increase in power, but also improved fuel economy.

Any thoughts of economy vacate your mind, however, once you finally get behind the wheel of the Mustang GT. With the engine rumbling and twisty canyon roads beckoning, the roads out of Los Angeles seemed a grueling test-bed for a car that’s made a name for itself shooting off the line, rather than carving though corners.

Luckily for fans of tearing up tires, the 2015 Mustang features the "Line Lock" burnout assist for maximum traction on the drag strip, and maximum awesomeness!

(Alex Kalogiannis)

Hitting the push-button starter button, the first thing I notice is the new and more substantial exhaust note. I slot the shifter into first gear, and make my run for the hills! The clutch pedal has softened in recent Mustang refreshes, and Ford has hit a sweet spot in the new model. It’s not too heavy, but definitely not light and flimsy.

In the initial series of turns, I realize I’m driving the car all wrong because, well, I’m still driving the car like a Mustang! I’m being way too cautious in turns, trying to avoid the body lean that would have reared its head in previous generations. Once I readjust my settings and find a comfortable groove, I finally begin to push the boundaries a little and take advantage of the fully independent front and rear suspension. Everything coalesces into a moment of clarity: I’m not driving a muscle car, I’m driving a sports car!

With this in mind, the Mustang comes alive in the next series of mountain curves. You feel the suspension hold things flat as you let the car attack the corner and fire out the other side, ready and primed for the next one. Quick left-right jukes are now much less intimidating. And with an engine that climbs all the way to 7,000 rpm, you can stay in gears longer while powering through tricky handling maneuvers.

The new Mustang also comes jam packed with plenty of technology to keep you safe as well as busy. Features like front collision warning and blind-spot monitoring are a couple of the new safety features found in this latest Mustang. A big and welcome addition is selectable drive modes, such as Comfort, Sport, and Track. These allow you to optimize the performance of the car to fit the appropriate conditions. Granted, this isn’t mind-blowing tech, but it’s extremely handy and makes the Mustang more of an all-weather sports machine. The “Snow/Mud”drive mode is especially useful for rear-wheel-drive pony car owners in snowy climates.

If you opt for the GT, make sure to budget a large amount for gas. We averaged 11-mpg with a lot of hard driving. But for fuel economy fans there's always the EcoBoost 4-cylinder...

(Alex Kalogiannis)

For anyone who likes to light up the rear tires, the Track apps allow you to monitor G-forces, and record your 0-60 mph times. Launch control, previously found in the Boss 302 and Shelby GT500, is now available in the base Mustang. Another new toy (and by far the flashiest) is the Mustang’s “Line Lock” feature. At a drag-strip it’s important to get a little spin into your rear tires for them to be at the grippiest temperatures. Line lock makes this a breeze by engaging only the front brakes for 15 seconds, holding the car while you light up the back tires. No doubt this will be the most abused function as non-racers will see how fast they can smoke through a set of Pirellitires – that doesn’t make it any less fun, of course.

What some die-hard Mustang enthusiasts might grind their teeth about is the fact that this iteration steps away from its raw muscle car nature. Instead, the new Mustang favors a sportier and more European driving dynamic. Now would be a good time to remind any doubters that other traditional American muscle machines – like the Camaro and Corvette – have fully independent suspensions that allow them to drive rings around the competition. Make no mistake, there are sportier and more nimble cars out there than the new Mustang, but this is the most dynamic one yet.

The 2015 Mustang GT remains a pony car icon, but improved handling and driving dynamics make it almost more sports car than muscle car

(Alex Kalogiannis)

Worth mentioning is the addition of a turbocharged, 2.3-liter 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” to Mustang’s engine lineup. This is Ford’s first rear-wheel-drive application of the technology, and I took a drive in one to see how a 4-cylinder Mustang fares. The punchy engine offers up a solid 300-horsepower and, combined with a projected fuel efficiency of 21 city/32 highway/25 combined mpg, it’s a very enticing option for a Mustang fan that doesn’t require the raucous power of the V-8. Speaking of the 8-cylinder, Ford rates its fuel efficiency at 15-mpg city/25 highway/19 combined. That’s not too shabby, considering the performance on offer here. Then again, after a day of horseplay, I was averaging 11-mpg in the GT.

For fans of carving corners and turning tires into smoke, there are few better options for the money than the 2015 Ford Mustang GT

(Alex Kalogiannis)

The 2015 Mustangs will be rolling into showrooms in the coming weeks, and prices start at a base MSRP of $23,600 for the entry-level 6-cylinder, and up to $36,925 for the premium GT trim. This is without optional features that could push the price over the $40K mark.

Will some traditionalists scoff at the latest example of the Mustang? Probably. But the naysayers will be drowned out by the sound of the next generation Ford pony car peeling out and leaving them in the dust –most likely after warming the rear tires with Line Lock.